The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-01-14
A GREAT INDUSTRY.
UTILIZING A PRODUCT WHICH SOUTH.
ERN FARMERS ONCE THREW AWAY.

Millions to be Made Out Of Cotton Seed.
A Fertilizer and Stock FO0d-Extrac.
tion of the Oil-The Possible Future.
Stripping Lint from the Seed.
For nearly century the southern farm.
ers destroyed their cotton seed. One of the
farm problems was how to get rid of it. A
few years ago somebody discovered that
cotton seed was the ono perfect fertilizer for
the cotton lands; that the seed held the
essential elements that the cotton crop took
from tho soil. Then everybody was ashamed
Of having destroyed the seed for so many
generations. Slowly but surely every ton
was utilized as fertilizer. Later some-
body discovered that it was an excellent
food for stock. Then the farmers began
feeding with il.
Along in 10 an objection was TO md to
cotton seed as fertilizer and stock food.
1t was too rich. Tho excess of oil in the
seed prevented quick decomposition in the
soil, and made the wool of sheep too kinky.
At the same time somebody discovered that
tho Objectionable oil would sell well in mar
ket, SO the first cotton seed oil mill was es-
tablished. The industry was immensely
profitable, and in less than five years $50 oil
mills sprang up in the south. i,
AN ENORMOUS INDUSTRY. y
A ton Of cotton seeds yields forty gallons
of OIL worth in its crude state $40. The hulls
of the seed are used as fuel to run the FIR
mace, and the ashes thereof sold for potash,
and cotton seed meal stripped Of its oil Is
more valuable to the farmer as fertilizer
and stock food than it was when it held the
oil. This season 500, 900 tons of cotton
seed have gone through the mills, from
which ST., OOO,0 900 worth of crude oil has
been taken. The meal cake returned to
the soil without the oil has lost nothing, while
the south has gained 81, 900, 0OO The crude
oil, however, is RENTED, which quadruples
its value 1t is sold mostly for export, and
returns to America as olive oil. The mills
pay the farmer about $40 ton for cotton
seed, three tons of which will make one ton
Of cotton meal, which they sell back to the
farmer for 1913 for fertilizing or feeding
purposes.
Now, see the progress. Twenty years ago
cotton seed was burned or destroyed on south
ern farms. Then it began to be used as
fertilizer or stock food Last year So, 000,-
900 worth of crude oil was taken out of $780,
900 tons of seed without injuring its value
for other purposes, which oil was refined up
to value of perhaps sec, 100000.
This enormous industry, which as yet
treats but 800, 900 tons out of 3, 200, 900 tons
of the full crop of cotton seed, has lately at
tracted the attention of northern capitalists,
it is said, especially the Standard Oil COM
pany, and a remarkable company has been
formed. Last season produced aci9 seed,
very unfavorable for oil purposes. The
mills, which had been making immense
profits, lost money. Several of them applied
to New York for money. Others were offered
for sale. The American Cotton Oil Trust
was organized A score of mills were
pooled and agents of the company went
to buying up until out Of the $50 oil mills
in the country the company owns about
l26. These mills represent a cash value
Of $3,OO0,O0O The stock Of the COM
pany is $50, 900, 00O 1t is listed in the New
York Stock Exchange, and is now selling at
about 60, so that the $4,000, 900 worth Of
mill property now has selling value Of
Fe1 900, 0G0. --'--~7l
THE POSSIBILITIES.
The possible expansion of this business
s startling. Less than one-sixth of the an
lual supply of cotton seed is now being
reated, and yet the crude oil alone yields
%, OOO, OOO, and the cotton meal $3, 600, 900
md more. The oil when refined will yield
'2O, OOO, OOO. Multiply these figures by six,
md you see what the present income of this
company will be. The monopoly once e.
the company can make its own
'rices for cotton seed. Already the price
las been reduced about So ton. By shut
ing up the small mills and concentrating
machinery and management in the large
mes the process can be cheapened The
emand for oil is limitless. The export trade
lone would take the product of the entire
otton seed crop. The demand for cotton
heal in England alone would exhaust the
resent annual supply, but the farmers are
Estimate about letting it 60 from their
and, and buy it readily at $1S a ton, which
Sl2 less than they receive for the three
ons of seed necessary to make it, and out Of
hitch $50 worth of crude oil has been taken.
Without counting the sale of potash tho
Hills now get without refining the oil $4S
ut of three tons of seed, for which they
ay $24
A short time ago the company paid
| ,OOO 900 for an invention of western
hap for stripping the lint from the seed by
sulphuric acid bath. The purpose was to
lake export of the seed in bulk the lint
# on the seed by the gin making it sweat
nd spoil in the ships hold. The sulphuric
id burns into the black of tho seed which
dds the oil. After being tried the project
as abandoned, but the western chap still
dds his 81 900, 600 worth of stock. The gin
akerS have improved t. e.r machinery, I'M
the seed is denuded entirely of lint.
mother process which the company will
obably buy is that of treating the ,tton
ed with naphtha, as flax seed is treated in
G west This process, it is said, will yield
larger percentage of oil at much smaller
st. 1t has been tried in a casual way in
Q southern mills, but abandoned New
ork Sun.
Good Management.
One of the PARTNERS il an Indiana grist